Hubballi-Dharwad waste-to-energy plant clears trial, to convert garbage into green coal

Hubballi: A waste-to-energy plant in Hubballi-Dharwad has completed a successful trial run, offering a permanent solution to the twin cities’ garbage problem.The project, described as an ambitious initiative of Union minister for new and renewable energy Pralhad Joshi, has come up in the region in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Swachh Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat.Built on an 8-acre plot belonging to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) near Old Gabbur, the unit has the capacity to process 200 tonnes of dry waste per day. Sources said the plant can convert 30% to 35% of this waste into coal.A continuous experimental run for 72 hours is under way, and has produced 250 tonnes of charcoal, sources said.The plant uses ‘torrefaction’ technology, in which garbage is not burned but heated at a specific temperature in an oxygen-depleted atmosphere, converting it into ‘torrefied charcoal’ or eco-friendly ‘green coal’.

Sources said this is the first unit in Karnataka to adopt the technology.Fuel from the unit is being supplied to NTPC’s Kudagi Thermal Power Plant in Vijayapura district under an agreement to use the green coal as an alternative to traditional coal, which is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions.The twin cities generate about 500 to 600 tonnes of waste daily, including 300 tonnes of green waste and 200 tonnes of dry waste.

Sources said the project will reduce landfill burden and address stench, groundwater pollution, and public health issues caused by garbage dumps.Sources said that after Pralhad Joshi became a central minister in 2020, and following a decision to build the country’s first waste-to-charcoal factory in Varanasi through NTPC, he decided the second factory should come up in Hubballi-Dharwad.“It was my resolve to make our twin cities a model for the entire country in clean and green energy production. With this joint effort of NTPC and the HDMC, garbage is being converted into energy for the country’s energy security,” said Pralhad Joshi.